The Lysianassa magellanica is one of the most remarkable Amphipods on 

 account of its unusual size. In this respect indeed it surpasses all other 

 animals of the same suborder, and is sometimes cited as an example of the 

 size to which this suborder of Crustacea can attain. These in fact seldom reach 

 the length of 1 inch, whereas the Lysianassa magellanica is more than 3 

 inches long' and is moreover of stout form and strongly built. We know of 

 a species of the family Hyperidce, the Cystosoma Neptuni Guerin-Meneville , 

 from the Indian Ocean, the individuals of which are more than 3 inches 

 long, but their form is much slighter; and a species of the family Oxyce- 

 phalidce, Bhabdosoma armatum White, found between Amboina & Van Die- 

 mens land, which attains a length of 4 y 2 inches, but the form of the body 

 is almost threadlike. The Lysianassa magellanica may therefore be justly 

 considered as the largest of all yet known Amphipoda. 



Another circumstance renders it still more remarkable and that is 

 its extensive geographical distribution. It has been briefly described by 

 H. Milne Edwards j ), who says, that it was found by D'Orbigny in the 

 belly of a fish near Cape Horn , and was by that naturalist presented to the 

 Museum of the Jardin des Plantes at Paris. It was accordingly a matter 

 of considerable surprise when last autumn Mr Th. M. Fries 2 ). Junior Pro- 

 fessor of Botany, brought hither from the Norwegian Fiiimarken and pre- 

 sented to the Zoological Museum of this University three specimens of that 

 rare Amphipod, with certain testimony, that he had received them from a 

 shipper in Hammerfest, who had found them in the belly of an "Haaskier- 



') Annales des Sciences naturelles 3:d Series, Zoology. Tome 9. 1848 p. 398, 

 without drawing's. — C. Spence Bate (Catalogue of the specimens of Amphipodous 

 Crustacea in the Collection of the British Museum, 1862, p. 66. Tah. X. fig. 5) has 

 since described and figured it after a drawing communicated by M. Lucas. But neither 

 the description nor the drawing is good, and the author cited seems not to have 

 been aware of Milne Edwards' previous description. 



2 ) We desire hereby in the name of our Science to express our thankfulness 

 to Mr. Th. Fries both for this and for several other similar valuable presents. 



